Kendrapara (Odisha), Mar 13 (PTI) Around 69,722 Olive Ridley sea turtles, primarily found in the warm waters of Pacific and Indian Oceans, have arrived at the Gahirmatha beach to lay eggs much to the delight of wildlife lovers and forest officials.

An estimated 69,722 female turtles were spotted digging pits on the sandy nesting ground for laying eggs in the past 48 hours.

Gahirmatha Beach is a beach in the Indian state of Odisha. The beach separates the Bhitarkanika mangroves from the Bay of Bengal is the world’s most important nesting beach for Olive Ridley Sea Turtles. The beach is part of Gahirmatha Marine Wildlife Sanctuary, which also includes the adjacent portion of the Bay of Bengal.

Odisha boasts of possessing the world’s largest known rookery of Olive Ridley sea turtle. Apart from Gahirmatha rookery, two other mass nesting beaches have been located which are on the mouth of rivers Rushikulya and Devi. The spectacular site of mass congregation of Olive Ridley sea turtles for mating and nesting enthralls both the scientists and the nature lovers throughout the world. This unique phenomenon is hardly seen anywhere in India. That rarity of mass congregation and the cruelty meted out to these innocent marine creatures, paved the way for declaration of the stretch of water body from old light house near Batighar to Maipura river mouth as Gahirmatha (Marine) Wildlife Sanctuary.